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Congratulations, 2019 Miami Hurricanes. You truly did the unthinkable — losing to Florida International University in an American football game. Like on a field in a stadium where people attended and a game was played. You lost. They won.
It was a remarkably terrible night. Miami returned to the grounds of the Orange Bowl, where they had once won an NCAA record 58-straight home games. Manny Diaz and his team were on a three game winning streak, which included road wins over Florida State and a Pitt team that was right in the mix atop the coastal and led the nation in sacks at the time.
Miami had a bye after Jarren Williams broke the schools passing touchdown record by slinging six of them in a dominant 52-27 win over the Louisville Cardinals and it felt like the Hurricanes were all but guaranteed to finish the season on a very respectable five-game winning streak. With FIU and Duke left on the schedule, it was a shooin.
Instead, Miami shows up to Marlins Park and...that’s about it. They showed up. They were in uniform and they put 11 guys on the field when it was time to play, but few seemed ready to do so.
FIU, a team that finished 6-7, took a 13-0 lead into halftime allowing them to go the distance despite a three touchdown fourth quarter by the Hurricanes.
The Panthers would win 30-24. It was not only the worst game of the year, but could arguably be labeled as the worst loss in program history.
Want to know why? Here’s why.
Walk In Yo Trap And Take Over Yo Trap. We Run Miami ‼️ pic.twitter.com/LgoNN9yV1N
— Stan Thomas-Oliver 3 (@__Alcatraz21) November 24, 2019
FIU just beat Miami to win its first ever game against a Power 5 team pic.twitter.com/gslgJ3YTvW
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 24, 2019
FIU LB Sage Lewis with the dagger... says Panthers weren’t even calling the Hurricanes of the University of Miami this week at practice. “We were calling them the University of Coral Gables. We’re the real Miami university.”
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) November 24, 2019
That’s why. Miami allowed a program in its same city with a football program should not be compared to or discussed with the University of Miami to do THAT. They allowed FIU, even if for a short while, to take over the City of Miami. That is simply inexcusable.
Want to know what's worse? The win over Miami could have been a program-shifting victory that catapulted the Panthers into at least some level of relevance in the near future, but they went on to lose their next two games to Marshall and Arkansas State.
And STILL, they are celebrating the victory despite blowing the opportunity to create a wave of momentum and actually having students and fans show up to their games in 2020.
1.18.20 (@FIUHoops)#PantherPrideNight #SaveTheDate pic.twitter.com/630tlddqkD
— FIU Athletics (@FIUAthletics) January 8, 2020
So, Miami can't even say they lost to a *GOOD* FIU team. They lost to a below average team, in the same city as them and were humiliated in the process.
This award is the equivalent to Pam getting the Dundy for longest engagement every year.